North Louisiana Lifestyle Family and Newborn Photographer

Tag: Minden Louisiana Portrait Photographer

Amy and Sebastiaan Maternity Portraits | Minden Louisiana Photographer

Today we are pulling from the vault for this sweet maternity session.

Amy and Sebastiaan came all the way from Europe for these pictures. Ok, fine, that’s not true. They did come from all the way from Europe, but the photos in Louisiana were not orginally part of the plan. You see, Amy is my husband’s sister. Her and Sebastiaan came down for Thanksgiving and while they were here we grabbed some pictures.

They are having their first baby in Feburary and we all can’t wait to see how beautiful she is going to be. And I know they will be amazing parents. Our girls love them both so much. They are moving on in their travels in the US today so of course I’m posting this because we already miss them and they just left. Boo for long distances.

We planned to get these pictures done in the evening but after realizing it was going to rain from noon until…. well, all night, we realized we had to make do with the morning cloudy skies. Within minutes of us starting, the rain came. Thankfully, it was only a drizzle. But it did not help with the chilly temps. We sped through the photos so as to not freeze from being wet and cold.

But in the end, these pictures turned out so well. Thanks for trusting me to capture this sweet time for y’all. We love y’all so much!

Thank you so much for viewing our blog. We hope you enjoyed it. To book your maternity and newborn session, click here

xoxo,

January 25, 2023
Kinlee’s First Birthday Party | Shreveport Louisiana Baby Photographer

My sweet niece had her first birthday so of course I brought my camera along. You know me well. I love capturing special times like this for my family and friends. This isn’t something I openly offer to anyone. There is something about capturing special times whether it’s during a family, newborn session or at an event with family and friends, It is so special to me.

I can’t believe a whole year ago, this precious little baby was born into our family. She is so full of spunk and attitude and we all just adore her. She always giving you a smile, but will let you know when you have come too close. She’s feisty, but man is she cute.

We gathered with Kinlee’s friends and family and to celebrate her first year of life. What special year it has been since she arrived.

November 9, 2022
Katie | Lake Bistineau Louisiana Photographer

The beautiful Katie graced my lens I tell you, I can’t wait for you to see these.

Not only is Katie gorgeous but she is the sweetest little thing. She’s always wearing a smile.

We decided to do her session out on Lake Bistineau, because who doesn’t LOVE Lake Bistineau?! I know I love it. It is gorgeous at every seaon.

Katie is amazing with hair, and HAS amazing hair too! She has an instagram account where she shares hair tutorials so we knew we wanted to get some up close images of her hair. We came in with a plan and I would say we got some amazing images that I just love.

Typically I am a family and newborn photographer but I just love the change of scenery every now and then by doing a portrait session. They are so fun and I love the personality I get to capture one-on-one.

I hope you enjoy this gorgeous session

Book your session here

September 20, 2022
Seth’s Six Month Milestone + Family Session | North Louisiana Baby Photographer

Remember sweet Seth from his newborn session earlier this year?! This precious baby boy is 6 months old and I can hardly believe it!

Seth is such a sweetheart and one loved boy. He was full of faces for his six month milestone session in North Louisiana and I just loved it!!!

He was a little unsure of me and the new surroundings at first, but within no time he warmed up and was squirming to get down and play in the grass. So that’s what this sweet boy got to do! He was so happy.

It’s the most fun to watch these babies grow and to get to photograph such milestones in their first year. A lot changes within a year and documenting it is so special. I love this work.

Enjoy the precious photos of the sweetest little family you ever did see

To book your baby’s very own milestone session or a family session, head over here

August 22, 2022
Five ways to set your family up for a successful family session | Ruston Louisiana family and newborn photographer

Hey mama! You’ve just booked a family session and you’re wondering how you’re going to get your kiddos to cooperate. This is such a valid concern! As a family and newborn photographer in the Ruston Louisiana area, I’ve got some tips that just might help!

1. Instead of bribing with treats and candy, instead bribe with play. “Let’s do this really quick and then we can play Simon says” A fun trick is to play Simon says by telling them “Simon says look at the camera”, “Simon says give mommy a kiss”, etc.

2. Don’t come hungry. Get some food in everyone’s tummies before your session. No one photographs well hangry.

3. Be a little more lenient than usual. It’s totally ok if kiddos are hyper or grumpy. Sometimes forcing them to do things will make matters worse. When it comes to these sessions, a lot of times, they are in charge. This may sound crazy, but it always works out best.

4. Schedule your session for when they are their happiest. Some kids are happiest in the morning. If so, schedule a sunrise session. Yes, sunrise is EARLY, but you won’t regret it if your littles are their happiest.

5. Remember to have fun and trust your photographer to capture moments that you and your family will adore

Fall family sessions with CDP are officially open for booking!! Be sure to snag your spot here

August 12, 2022
Bossier City Louisiana Newborn Photographer | Courtney Dexter Photography

Hey there! I’m so glad you’re here!!

If you haven’t already heard, we have created a YouTube channel to share more images from our work in sweet slideshow form. We hope you stick around and enjoy them as much as we do!

This session in particular was an in-home newborn session in Bossier City, Louisiana. We had a beautiful day with gorgeous natural light to work with. I loved it all and I’m so excited for you to see it!

Check it out here!!

Thanks so much for your love and support! To book your in-home newborn session, click here

June 17, 2022
Lloyd Family | South Arkansas Family Photographer

Meet the Lloyd family..

Angela is an incredible photographer in the South Arkansas area. Our oaths recently crossed and we decided to do a family photos swap. Being a photographer doesn’t always mean you have great photos of you and your family. Someitmes, as a photographer your own family photos get put on the back burner while we focus on our clients families. So this was an opportinty that I couldn’t turn down. Not to mention, angela is such a wonderful photographer!!

We met on her family’s farm in rural Lewisvile Arkansas on a warm May evening. We had lovely fields, ponds, cows, horses, barns, and silos all around us. What better location could you ask for?

Angela wanted to capture photos of her family before her kids leave home. They are all grown now. We are in the exact opposite stages of life. Her children grown and leaving the nest, and mine just barely in school.. yet beautiful photos are still so important no matter the ages of your children.

It was such an honor to meet y’all and play a role in documenting your beautiful family in a beautiful location such as this. I know I’ll cherish our photos for a lifetime and I hope you will too.

Xoxo,

Courtney

Book your family session here

June 7, 2022
Brickstreet Coffee | Minden Louisiana Brand Photographer

Brickstreet Coffee is a new coffee shop coming to Downtown Minden Louisiana. To say we are excited about this is an understatement!!

Debbie and Derek moved here last year from Washington. They brought their current coffee business with them, Barnyard Coffee. Go check them out! They are some of the sweetest and most genuine people you will ever meet and we are so thrilled for this new venture they are taking on.

If you are a business owner then you know the excitment and the fear that they are facing doing something this big! It’s totally normal to do things scared. If it makes you uncomfortable, it’s almost always what you need to be doing. Growth doesn’t happen inside your comfort zones. We know that God is with them and guiding their descisions and that they will be blessed in this new phase of their life.

A few momnths ago, Debbie reached out to me to photograph them in their new building for a magazine feature. WHAAAT?! I was so excited, and nervous. HA! I had never done this before.

We met at their coffee shop in Minden, LA and began photographing details of the shop and getting some shots of them as well. We had a great time together!

We waited a few weeks for the magazine to go live before sharing these images so as to not spoil any surprise. We can officially share everything because the magazine is live! WOOHOO!!

If you’re ever in Minden, LA be sure to get in touch with Debbie and Derek over at brickstreetcoffee and barnyardcoffee on instagram. In fact, just go follow them now!!

If you would like to check out this magazine you can do so here.

April 12, 2022
Castor High School Senior Christian Conly | Lake Bistineau State Park Photographer

Everyone, meet Christian. He is a high school senior at Castor high in North Louisiana.

During our pre-sesion conversations, I was told that he was a country boy and that they lived close to Lake Bistineau. I knew right then that Lake Bistineau was the place we needed to do his sesoin. There is so much variety you can get from there and it is definitely the country feel. I have loved every session I have ever done out there and this was not an exception.

When we arrvied we said our hellos, I met his mom, and we got started with our session. It was the perfect time of year to go out there because the entrance has beautiful trees that were dropping their orange and yellow leaves everywhere. You could hardly see the road! This is the first time I have seen it like this. It was stunning!!

We grabbed several shots there and then moved along the park. Oddly enough, we had the park ALL TO OURSELVES! This has never happened! I was in shock and also wondering if there was something I didn’t know. haha!!

A spot I have been eyeing each time I come out was this huge fallen pine tree. It was HUGE! And I knew I wanted to take Christian over to it. When the light was just right we went over there and it was GOOD!!! The light filtering through the tree looked amazing!!

You’ll have to see for yourself, but man! We got so much variety for his gallery! He did great and we al had a good time! It was so good to meet them and capture this special time in his life!

Thanks so much for being here!! If you enjoyed this post, please leave some love!

Xoxo,

Courtney

November 30, 2021
Kinlee’s Lifestyle Newborn Session | North Louisiana Newborn Photographer

Precious little Kinlee..

Sweet little Kinlee is SOOO good for her newborn sesion in North Louisiana. I arrived at their home on a cloudy Tuesday morning. The light was in and out all day, but we made it work!

Once I swaddled little Kinlee, she fell fast asleep and hardly even budged the entire time. Every newborn photographer dreams of their babies sleeping as good as Kinlee did for hers! It was wonderful.

I started photographing all the nursery details, then moved on to family portraits and then just sweet Kinlee. This is typically the order I like to go in so that baby has plenty of time to fall into a deep sleep while being held for the family portraits. Then when it’s for their debut, they are faaaast asleep.

There is almost nothing I love more than photographing sweet newborns in their home. To me, the images mean so much more because they are somewhere that is special to the family. I love incorporating details from the nursery and home into the session. One thing I have learned from being a parent myself is that this time with you sweet baby, AS A BABY, goes so incredibly fast!! I know in the moment it feels like it drags by. You’re completely exhausted and constantly second guessing every decision you make. But one thing is for sure, Mama, you’re doing a god job!! Parenting is HARD!

I had the pleassure of photographing Brandon and Melissa’s proposal, engagements, wedding, maternity portraits and now their first baby’s newborn portraits! It’s always SUCH an honor to watch families grow!

Yes, Brandon is my brother, but that doesn’t make it any less of an honor to play a role in preserving their family memories. It’s something I do not take lightly. There are so many firsts that I have gotten to be a part of. It makes my job so incredibly special and important to me.

I can’t get enough of these gorgeous portraits of such a sweet and special time for this family…

The little toes get me

I just love this one

Sweet family

Thank you so much for being here!! If you enjoyed this, please leave some love.

Xoxo,

Courtney

November 24, 2021